With its beautiful sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and abundant sunny days, it’s no surprise that Cuba is a favourite winter vacation destination for Canadians. Whether it’s a short trip or an extended winter getaway, with the right travel insurance, your Cuban vacation is set to be as dreamy as the photos! Not sure which travel insurance plan you need? Lucky for you, we’ve broken down everything that your travel insurance for Cuba should include.
Entry Requirements
Before you book your trip to Cuba, or any trip for that matter, make sure to check your passport expiration date. If you’re travelling with a regular Canadian passport, it should be valid for at least 1 month beyond the date of your expected departure from Cuba. In addition, if you’re a Canadian travelling to Cuba as a tourist, you’re also required to fill out a tourist visa, or tourist card. These can be purchased from tour operators, airlines, and certain airports.
Emergency Medical Travel Insurance for Cuba
While Cuba has some of the best healthcare systems in the world, it’s still necessary to take precautions when travelling. Travellers heading to Cuba are encouraged to be properly protected with routine vaccines, including Influenza, Hepatitis A&B, measles-mumps-rubella, and Diphtheria. Aside from vaccinations, getting sick or injured is still possible, even on vacation. Whether it’s a foodborne illness or an accident, Emergency Medical travel insurance will have you covered!
All travellers are required to have proof of Canadian provincial health insurance, but remember, your provincial plan will only cover a portion of your medical costs in Cuba, leaving you to pay the rest. It’s also important to note that Cuban authorities won’t allow anyone with outstanding medical bills to leave the country. Medical care in Cuba can get expensive, so ensure that you have an Emergency Medical insurance policy that covers the following:
- Hospitalization and treatment
- Medicine and drugs prescribed by a doctor
- Ambulance services
Thinking of being adventurous on your trip? We’ve got coverage for high-risk activities too! Simply add Optional Sports Coverages to your Emergency Medical, and you’ll be covered for the following activities and more:
- Parachuting/skydiving
- Scuba diving
- Parasailing over land
Petty Theft Insurance for Cuba
Cuba is a relatively safe country, but petty theft and crime do occur. On occasion, unfortunate travellers have even had items stolen from their luggage at Cuban airports. Because of this, it’s important to have the right travel insurance to smooth away any bumps along the road. Baggage insurance can come in handy when travelling to Cuba, as it covers the following:
- Loss, damage, destruction, or theft of personal items
- Loss of currency due to theft or robbery
- Personal necessities due to a baggage delay beyond 12 hours
For anything that may not be covered under your Baggage insurance policy, your home insurance might cover those items, so take a look at your policy to know exactly what you’re covered for before you go.
Above all, remember that caution is key to being a smart and savvy traveller. Along with Baggage insurance, be prepared with these international travel safety tips.
Hurricane Insurance for Cuba
Hurricane season in Cuba is between July and November. If you’re planning a trip during these months, it’s important to consider that it could be cancelled or interrupted due to a hurricane or tropical storm. Travellers who purchase Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption coverage may be covered if the policy and trip to the affected area are booked before Global Affairs Canada or Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) issue a travel advisory that recommends visitors “Avoid all travel” or “Avoid non-essential travel” to the destination.
For Trip Cancellation, the travel advisory must still be in place at the time of the scheduled departure. For Trip Interruption, the travel advisory must be issued after departure and during the scheduled travel dates. For more advice, take a look at these helpful travel insurance tips for hurricane season.
Make sure you’re fully prepared for your next Cuban vacation by packing Emergency Medical travel insurance, Baggage insurance, and Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption insurance before you go!
Looking for more advice on travelling to Cuba? Leave your question in the comments below!
Safe travels,
Linnea
I understand cuba sells travel insurance
Hi Ray,
Did you mean you can purchase travel insurance once you’re there? If so, all travellers are required to have emergency medical insurance before entering the country, so you would need to buy it before going.
As well, it’s always best to buy it from a Canadian company since:
1) Insurance companies need to coordinate with Canadian provincial healthcare; needless to say, Canadian companies will have a lot more experience in dealing with this, and
2) It will be a lot easier to communicate with a Canadian company in the event you make a claim
Hope that helps! Safe travels!